Introduction and Objective: Young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are vulnerable when transitioning from pediatric to adult care. The Young Adult Diabetes Clinic (YADC) employs a multidisciplinary model to facilitate this transition through a single-session orientation led by a behavioral health specialist. We aim to understand the impact of the YADC, participant characteristics, and patterns of engagement.Methods: The YADC involves a half-day session with orientation, peer-to-peer icebreakers, and discussion of transition-related topics, followed by diabetes education and medical provider visits. YADC participation, demographic and clinical data, including age, zip code (urban vs. rural), insurance status, visit type (virtual vs. in-person), referral source (internal vs. external), technology use (CGM, CGM + pump, or none), T1D Distress Assessment System (T1DDAS) scores, A1c, and visit completion were tracked or manually extracted via chart review. No statistical software or analysis was applied.Results: Of 214 participants (2021-2024, mean age = 20), 27% (N=58) fully participated in YADC, 19% (N=40) partially participated, and 54% (N=116) did not participate. Among 17 full participants (August 2023-June 2024): mean age = 21 years (SD = 1.8); mean A1c = 9% (SD = 2.4); 47% used CGM, 41% CGM + pump, and 11% used neither; 14 were urban residents and 3 were rural residents. Most (70%) had private insurance; 29% had Medicaid. Within 6 months following the YADC session, 9 of 17 completed medical visits, 8 of 17 completed diabetes education, and none accessed additional behavioral health care. Diabetes distress scores were collected for all 10 patients who attended in 2024.Conclusion: Characterizing participants in YADC and non-YADC visits will help highlight patterns of engagement and potential barriers to care. Future research should explore how to enhance program accessibility particularly for underserved groups, address psychosocial barriers, and assess the long-term impact of YADC participation on diabetes management outcomes.
R. Pandit: None. I. Guttmann-Bauman: None. R. Mullin: None. R.D. Tweet: Other Relationship; Lilly Diabetes. F. Joarder: None.
Source link
Leave a Reply